From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy.
From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy.
By signing up you agree to allow POLITICO to collect your user information and use it to better recommend content to you, send you email newsletters or updates from POLITICO, and share insights based on aggregated user information. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and can contact us here. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Loading
You will now start receiving email updates
You are already subscribed
Something went wrong
By signing up you agree to allow POLITICO to collect your user information and use it to better recommend content to you, send you email newsletters or updates from POLITICO, and share insights based on aggregated user information. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. You can unsubscribe at any time and can contact us here. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
By ALEXANDER WARD, MATT BERG and ARI HAWKINS
Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burham (Pictured) and Gen. Mohammad Hamdan Dagaloare fighting to end the other one’s chances of ushering in a civilian-led transition. | Marwan Ali/AP Photo
Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt
The Biden administration is developing a response to escalating violence in Sudan by warring factions, with the earliest plans aimed at stopping the fighting ASAP.
Two generals — Gen. ABDEL-FATTAH BURHAN, who leads Sudan’s military, and Gen. MOHAMMED HAMDAN DAGALO, chief of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group — are fighting to end the other one’s chances of ushering in a civilian-led transition. They once allied to overturn Sudan’s short-lived democratic turn in October 2011, but a months-long disagreement over folding the RSF into the nation’s armed forces, complicated by logistics, ethnic and cultural differences, has blown up.
Now each side has tens of thousands of troops in the capital of Khartoum, a city of 5 million people, and in other major cities, leading to around 100 deaths and hundreds wounded in just three days. There’s no end in sight since the prospects for a negotiated settlement are small and fighting is widespread throughout the nation.
“This is the worst-case scenario,” said CAMERON HUDSON, who served as chief of staff to multiple special presidential envoys to Sudan. “Both sides see the other as an existential threat. They have been itching for this fight for so long that we’re not going to put a cork in it right now.”
A senior administration official, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss internal policy deliberations, said “all options are on the table” to get both sides to stop fighting. The official declined to comment when asked if that included military options. A second senior administration official said “100 percent” of the focus has been on diplomatic methods to convince both sides to quit fighting immediately.
The first official also said it’s an “all hands on deck moment” for the administration. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN, who has urged all parties to cease fighting, spoke with his British counterpart on the crisis during a sideline event at the G7 in Japan. “There have been a number of high-level conversations,” the official said, refusing to get specific. “We’re calling all counterparts.”
JUDD DEVERMONT and MOLLY PHEE, respectively the top Africa-focused officials at the National Security Council and State Department, are developing the strategy to keep the crisis from spilling out of Sudan, one person familiar with their work told us.
The early goal is to keep regional countries from derailing any chance of ceasefire, namely Egypt, a staunch supporter of Sudan’s armed forces. That may be difficult: The RSF captured Egyptian troops conducting joint training in Sudan.
“We’re concerned about external meddling in this conflict. That could make it even worse,” the first senior administration official said. “What we are trying to do in this effort is to have partners be constructive and make sure that any sort of negative actor doesn’t try to exploit the conditions on the ground so that it becomes worse or that spreads across borders.”
Discussions within the administration and with members of Congress are ongoing, though it’s still too early for there to be a fully realized plan. In the meantime, Rep. SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Africa panel, told us she calls on the parties to “stop escalating the fighting” and “return to talks without preconditions.”
A message from Lockheed Martin:
Enabling a world of unlimited possibility and 21st century security.
Lockheed Martin employees and customers are bound by a common cause. Ennobled by our shared patriotism, we will do all that is necessary to protect American and allied interests. Together, we will strengthen deterrence and help ensure mission readiness today. Learn more.
VISIT WITH WSJ REPORTER: U.S. ambassador to Russia LYNNE TRACY visited imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter EVAN GERSHKOVICH at Lefortovo Prison, where he’s being held, on Monday.
It was “the first time we’ve been permitted access to him since his wrongful detention more than two weeks ago,” the U.S. embassy in Moscow wrote in a tweet, crediting Tracy. “He is in good health and remains strong. We reiterate our call for his immediate release.”
LEAK NOT PATCHED: Though Massachusetts Air National Guardsman JACK TEIXEIRA was arrested last week for allegedly leaking secret Pentagon documents, new information continues spilling into the public.
Russia hasn’t made fast work on the frontline, gaining an average of 1.6 miles of territory each month since July, according to documents obtained by Newsweek’s WILLIAM ARKIN. In more than four dozen documents, it was also disclosed that there are thousands more Wagner Group fighters battling for Bakhmut than previously known.
It was also revealed that Russia is much better at manipulating social media and search engine rankings than thought, the Washington Post’s JOSEPH MENN reported on Sunday. Russian bots boasted that their accounts are caught by social media companies less than 1 percent of the time, per leaked documents.
Teixeira wasn’t the only person with military ties spreading the documents. SARAH BILS, a former Navy noncommissioned officer played a key role in the Pentagon leaks in the past weeks, overseeing a pro-Russian social media account that reposted the secret documents from obscure chat rooms, the Journal’s YAROSLAV TROFIMOV and BOB MACKIN reported Sunday.
Bils, a 37-year-old who served as an aviation electronics technician at a naval air station in Washington state until late last year, helped run the account known as Donbass Devushka (which translates to Donbas Girl), In an interview, she admitted to hosting the account with 15 other people, fundraising and hosting podcasts on the account.
BEST BUDS: Chinese defense minister LI SHANGFU lauded his country’s military cooperation with Russia and is prepared to “make new contributions to stability and security” around the world with their ally.
He made the remarks during a trip to Moscow over the weekend to meet with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN and other officials, the Guardian reported. Putin echoed Li’s sentiment, saying the two countries are “working actively through our military departments [and] regularly exchange useful information.”
Beijing and Moscow have shored up ties in recent months despite China’s alleged neutrality over the war in Ukraine. The latest show of partnership comes as 20 senior Chinese officers are set to begin taking classes at Russian Armed Forces’ Academy of the General Staff in the fall, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
CHINA’S (ALLEGED) NYC OUTPOST: The FBI arrested two men accused of operating an illegal Chinese police station in the U.S. to work on behalf of China’s government, the New York Times’ WILLIAM RASHBAUM and KAREN ZRAICK report.
Prosecutors say the two defendants – ‘HARRY’ LU JIANWANG and CHEN JINPING — established a secret police station in a Manhattan office building, under the guidance of China’s Ministry of Public Security. The pair are charged with conspiring to act as agents of Beijing’s government and obstruction of justice, according to an unsealed complaint from the Department of Justice. The outpost was one of more than 100 Chinese police operations around the world that have unnerved intelligence officials and American diplomats.
IT’S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at [email protected] and [email protected], and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33.
While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @Lawrence_Ukenye, @reporterjoe and @_AriHawkins.
The McCain Institute will convene its 10th annual Sedona Forum on May 5-6, featuring lawmakers, journalists, military leaders, business executives, and more. This year’s theme, “Indispensable Power,” will examine the diplomatic, military, and economic means employed to protect democracy, human rights, and the global competitive edge. Established by Senator John McCain, the Sedona Forum is held each spring in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona, to advance the mission of the McCain Institute – fighting for democracy, human dignity, and security. Visit TheSedonaForum.org to register for the livestream today.
DESANTIS’ GREATEST HITS: The DeSantis War Room Twitter account posted a video montage of the Florida governor staking out foreign policy positions in clips dated as far back as 2012. “As the world changes, Ron DeSantis remains consistent in his principles,” writes the account, which is linked to DeSantis ally CHRISTINA PUSHAW.
“I don’t see us doing very much to reunify Crimea with Ukraine,” DeSantis is shown saying in an interview in 2014. The clip is followed by similar remarks he made about the most recent Russian invasion. “I care more about securing our own border inside the United States than I do about the Russia-Ukraine border,” DeSantis said in 2023. The Florida governor is also shown arguing against American intervention in Iraq, Syria and Libya across several years.
The video comes after DeSantis referred to Russia’s war with Ukraine as “a territorial dispute” which the U.S. should avoid “becoming further entangled in” during an interview with TUCKER CARLSON. The Florida governor later claimed his comments had been “mischaracterized” after facing bipartisan rebuke.
POMPEO’S OUT: Former Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO will not enter the GOP presidential race, ending months of speculation on whether he’d face off against his former boss DONALD TRUMP.
“The time is not right for me and my family,” Pompeo, who’s 59 years old, said in a statement posted on Twitter. “There remain many more opportunities for which the timing might be more fitting as presidential leadership becomes even more necessary.”
GET OFF TIKTOK: There’s a new push from Republican lawmakers to get their colleagues off TikTok, with warnings that the security and privacy threats from the popular video app are closer than they appear, our own KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS reports.
Sen. THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.) and Rep. DAN CRENSHAW (R-Texas) are focused on banning their own colleagues from using TikTok. The pair, joined by 15 other Republicans, wrote a letter calling on leaders of the Senate Rules Committee and the Committee on House Administration to rein in the use of the app by their fellow lawmakers.
“It is troublesome that some members continue to disregard these clear warnings and are even encouraging their constituents to use TikTok to interface with their elected representatives — especially since some of these users are minors,” Tillis and Crenshaw wrote.
Read: What it will look like if China launches cyberattacks in the U.S. by our own MAGGIE MILLER.
‘NOT OKAY’: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have blasted Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) for defending Teixeira, the alleged leaker of classified Pentagon information.
“Teixeira is white, male, christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime,” Greene, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, wrote on Twitter following Teixeira’s arrest last week.
Speaking on MSNBC Monday morning, Rep. JIM HIMES (D-Conn.) said it’s “really sad to see [Greene] go that crazy” chalking up the comments to her disdain for Biden. When asked if there’s anything defensible about Teixeira, Rep. MIKE McCAUL (R-Texas) told CNN that “anybody that violates their oath to protect national security and intelligence… is not a hero. Just the opposite.”
Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) also chimed in on Sunday, calling it “one of the most irresponsible statements you could make.”
‘SHAM TRIAL’: The top two Europe-focused senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned the “sham trial” of Russian opposition politician VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, who the Russian government sentenced to 25 years in prison for spreading “fake news” after he repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States and global community knew this would be a sham trial from the very beginning, but this obscene punishment for Kara-Murza’s political advocacy epitomizes Putin’s weakness and fear of the growing opposition from his own people to his autocratic rule and barbaric war in Ukraine,” Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and PETE RICKETTS (R-Neb.) said in a joint statement.
Kara-Murza, who was arrested last year after denouncing the war in a speech to U.S. lawmakers, criticized his case as “unfounded, illegal and politically motivated,” our own EVA HARTOG and WILHELMINE PREUSSEN report.
APPLICATION DENIED: Sen. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.) praised the decision from the State Department to refuse visas for the Russian delegation and Russian Foreign Minister SERGEY LAVROV for a U.N. Security Council meeting later this month.
“Absolutely the right move — no business as usual with a country committing crimes against humanity. Denying visas to Lavrov & cohorts recognizes Russia is a pariah,” Blumenthal wrote on Twitter Monday morning. “After denying visas, next declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. Lavrov’s boss, wanted for arrest by the ICC, has amply earned that “distinction.”
The Russian foreign ministry faces deep condemnation for Moscow’s war in Ukraine even as Russia leads the Security Council as president for the month of April in a rotational role. The U.S. and U.K. have said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violates international law, with some officials suggesting Russia’s continued leadership role damages the council’s credibility.
GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition “Global Insider” newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat.
— MICHAEL McNERNEY was named the Pentagon’s director of the civilian protection center of excellence. He was a RAND Corporation senior international and defense researcher on civilian-protection issues.
— MARGUS TSAHKNA started Monday as Estonia’s foreign minister. His first trip will be to Finland on Tuesday.
— GIDEON RACHMAN, The Financial Times: How the Ukraine war has divided the world
— SUE MI TERRY, The Bulwark: Six Things to Know About North Korea’s Newest Missile
— ANCHAL VOHRA, Foreign Policy: The West Is Preparing for Russia’s Disintegration
— U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 8 a.m.: 2023 CBP Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit
— The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 9 a.m.: Virtual conflict briefing on Pakistan on Domestic Turmoil, Protracted Conflict, and Regional Implications
— The Wilson Center’s Asia Program and the Korean Association of International Studies, 9 a.m.: 2023 U.S.-ROK Policy Forum on 70 Years of the U.S.-ROK Alliance: The Past and the Future
— The House Homeland Security Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Subcommittee, 10 a.m.: The Homeland Security Cost of the Biden Administration’s Catastrophic Withdrawal from Afghanistan
— The House Foreign Affairs Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Subcommittee, 10:30 a.m.: 12 Years of Terror: Assad’s War Crimes and U.S. Policy for Seeking Accountability in Syria
— The House Foreign Affairs Committee, 12:30 p.m.: Roundtable on AUKUS and Arms Exports Modernization
— The Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1:30 p.m.: Pausing Proliferation: Facing China’s Military Engine Development
— The Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, 2:30 p.m.: Army Modernization in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and the Future Years Defense Program
— The House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, 3 p.m.: FY2024 Budget Request for Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Program
— The Center for a New American Security, 5:30 p.m.: National Security in the Era of Climate Change
Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, the other party in our editor-writer war.
We also thank our producer, Sinobia Aiden, who we would immediately install as leader of a civilian-led NatSec Daily.
A message from Lockheed Martin:
Enabling a world of unlimited possibility and 21st century security.
Lockheed Martin is helping you outpace evolving threats by accelerating our digital transformation. That means simulating wear-and-tear with digital twins so you can anticipate maintenance and reduce downtime. It means deep knowledge of your missions. It means industry-wide experience and next-gen technologies. We do it all to help you prevent and deter emerging threats sooner and faster than ever. Learn more.
© 2023 POLITICO LLC